Italy: More towns under water. At least three people have died in floods
Devastating floods in Italy. At least three people have died and three others are missing in the Emilia-Romagna region after heavy rains caused rivers to burst their banks or reach dangerous levels in several locations. More than six thousand people have been forced to relocate due to flooding. The situation is worsening due to heavy rains. The Code Orange for bad weather remains in force for the next few days.
Dramatic footage of the flood disaster in Italy. Thousands of people have been evacuated from the floodwaters, but sadly there are casualties. The town of Cesena has been flooded and some people have climbed onto the roofs of houses to save themselves. Schools have been closed and trains stopped or diverted. The weather forecasters are not giving good news: forecasts are calling for seven days of rain and bad weather from the south to the north-east.
"Unfortunately, we have to wait for the cyclone to pass. Caution is absolutely necessary, all the necessary precautions must be taken: citizens must contact the authorities, listen to what they are told and respect the rules that are issued, because people's lives are at stake," says Titti Postglione, vice-president of the Italian Civil Protection Agency.
The situation is worsening by the hour and flooding is spreading to more and more regions due to heavy rainfall. Authorities warn that the situation could get worse. The mayor of Cesena has appealed to people to be vigilant and hold on despite the critical situation.
"We can't rule out new breaches in the banks of the Savio river, as happened yesterday. We repeat our appeal to citizens to stay away from the rivers, not to enter basements or underground rooms and, for those who live near the river, to stay on the first floor and not to go downstairs", stressed the Mayor of Cesena, Enzo Lattuca.
Part of the beach near Cesena has disappeared.
"It's a difficult situation. The water has flooded us, a lot of sand has washed away and we fear the situation will get worse. The sea has already taken half of the beach," says the head of Cesena's lifeguards, Simone Battistone.
Trains have also been stopped to Bologna and several traffic restrictions have been put in place. Authorities are trying to avoid flooding homes.
"It's possible that this afternoon we may have to close one lane of the street or even completely if the Ravone river overflows," says Bologna's mayor, Matteo Lepore.
Dikes built of sandbags are not coping with the waters. Meteorologists have issued a severe weather code red for Emilia-Romagna, orange for Marche, Sicily and Campania, and 10 other regions are under a yellow code. Several mayors have called for a state of emergency.
